Racket for tennis and like games



Apr. 24, 1923. f 1,452,803

A. HARRIS QHACKET FOR TENNIS AND LIKE mums Fi led Sept. 2, 1921 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Fla/5.

Fla. /4.

RACKET F OR TENNIS AND LIKE GAMES Apr. 24, 1923.

m m m Patented Apr; 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES-.-

} 1,452, s03 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR HARRIS, OF BOMFOR-D, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB- OF ONE-HALF 'I O PERCY NEWLAND EVE, OF UPMINS'IEB, ENGLAND.

RAGKET FOR TENNTS AND LIKE GAMES. I

Application filed September 2, 1921. Serial No. 497,948.

(Gamma mm mm rnovrsrons or THE ACT on mm; a, 1921, 41 sum. 1., 1818.)

7 '0 all whom concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HARRIS, of Glenroy, S uirrels Heath, Romford, in the county of' Jss'ex, .England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racquets for Tennis and like Games, (for which I have filed applications for patent in Great Britain, #23203, filed August 6, 1920, and #34336, filed December 9, 1920), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to racquets fortenhis and like-games, including lawn tennis, squash-racquets, lacrosse and badminton, in which strung racquets orbats are used;

The present improvements are directed especially to such racquets as are made mainly, partly, or whollyof metal, pressed moulded or rolled into a hollow rectangular section or any other section compatible with durability, lightness and strength.

Any metal answering to these requirements will do for the purpose of the invention, and this may be used either as the sole metal portion of the racquet or as its chief constituent.

Toprotect the gut or string from being i cut by the metal the holes in. the frame may be lined with round-edge eyelets, or, if preferred the edges of the holes may be rounded or formed with a-round'ed or bevelled lip.

Alternatively, the holes-for. the stringing which "are made in the metal may be larger I or filling of suitable light material.

than the corresponding holes in the wood in order to prevent the-strings from being cut by the edges of the holes in the metal.

The. racquet being hollow is of light con-- struction, and is strengthened with a core Such a combination of a hollow metal racquet and a wood filling for example, is virtually the equivalentof a wood racquet reinforced with a metal sheathing. (The expression wood throughout this description includes cane or any other corresponding light material.)

The wood and the metal, when combined,

I mutually strengthen or support one another,

trated by the accompanying sheet of draw- 'ings in the further description of which reference thereto will be made.

'Figure 1 1s a general perspective view of a complete racquet.

Figures 2 and 3 respectively are cross sections upon the lines 22 and 3-3.

Flgure 4 is a longitudinal section upon the l1ne- 4-4 ofFig. 1'.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are alternative shapes of the cross section of the frame forming the head.

Figure 9 is a broken view of a slightly modified construction of racquet viewed in elevation.

Figures 10 and 11 are cross sections (increased to twice the size) of Fig. 9, upon lines 10 10 and 11"11".

Flgures 12 to 15 are cross sections of the hollow frames showing four varieties of linings.

Referring to Figs, 1 to 4, the frame conslsts of a member .ofmetal A which is both hollow and of H section and is bent to the proper curvature to form the usual outline of the head, the handle portion being straight in the form of two nearly or virtually parallel strips A A seen in section in Figs. 2 and 3. These straight portions continue up to the further end of the handle where it is bound with a leather or other band B. The external channel of the H metal is filled up with wood or any other suitable material C at the straight portion to make it flush, whilst abroad strip D of wood is added at back-and front of the handle. Alternatively the handle portion may be entirely covered over with some heat non-conductin material.

The two strips A A are held apart near sertion of a filling L of wood which can the neck by the wedge E which instead of wood, as usual, is made of metal. Such wedge E is held by its edges in the inner channels of the two lengths A A and it extends into the neck and curved portions of the latter where they merge into the frame A, and they continue some distance into the frame, either the short distance as shown in Figure 1, or up to half the height of the head or further. As shown in Fig. 4, a portion of the stringing F is threaded through the wedge E, the latter being cut away to leave gaps g h for lightness. The solid portion 1 between the gaps g It forms a cross piece in what is really a skeleton wedge, and a pin or rivet J is caused to pass through such cross piece E and through the strips .A A as seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4. An-

other in or rivet J (Figs. land t) is also provi ed at another place through the solid part of the wedge at a thickened portion E at the junction of said wedge with the. nonmetallic kart of the handle, indicated in section by Figure 4.

The interior of each member or strip A and A in the neighbourhood of the curved neck, and for some distance (or entirely) down the handle and half way or thereabouts '(or more or less) around the head (if necessary), is strengthened by the inbe slid into place by inserting it at the two open ends of the strips A A (which form part of the handle of the racquet) and drivin it in by force, if necessary. The wood iii in L, as shown in Figures'2, -3, and 6 is thlckened at the end it adjoins the handle, this thickening being held etween two thin metal liners M M of spring. steel or the like, which greatly enhence the rigidityof the ra uet besides helpin the wood filling to sli e smoothly into p ace. The combined thickness of the filling L and the liners M M'on either side occupies the whole spare between the two near walls of the hollow ti formation, whilst their width extends the entire breadth of the interior, acting as arr. internal strengthenin /web. 7

the form illustrated in.Figures 1 to 4 the wedge E is in the-member A and completely fills the width of said channel, (see ig. 2), but the, wed E is considerabl 2 (see Fig. 4) where a gradual one 1 and 4.

Theliners M M may, be replaced by a single metal liner N, Fig. 5, of thin flexible metal having wood L L on each side of it.

as seen most clearly in Figs.

.The invention is not, however, confined to the use of wood filling strips combined with metal liners, as it may be practicable to provide liners made entirely otwood or entirely of metal. 7

orLNas messes the case may be, where it lies in the head portion or frame A of the racquet, is perforated and fitted with hollow rivets Q for receivin I curved throu hout its entire width or thickness. In e ac of these two Figures 7 and 8 the holes for the stringing are shown by a. In Figures 9 to 11, the wedge P differs slightly in shape from the wedge E. The

wedge P is extended at its two upper corners into horns P lying within the groove upon the concave surface of the H section head A. The thickness of the wedge P is equal to that of the handle as is seen in Fig. 11, and the horns P are likewise equal in thickness to the frame A, as shown' in Fig.

10, a central rib in the portion P fitting into the groove of the H section. The straight portion P of the wedge (Fig. 9) is therefore flush with the handle, and a mound P is provided to enable the stem P to merge with the handle portion D.

"In Figure 12, a metal liner of plain rectangular section R is illustrated, consisting of very light metal having a certain resiliency, and oc'cupyin the, entire thickness (from back to front of the member A.

In Figure 13, a liner S of solid H section is shown occupying the whole area of the hollow interior of the strip A.

In Figure 14, the liner consists of a thin H section which -leaves unfilled spaces in the member A, but nevertheless corresponds with the two dimensions of the same.

In the Figure. 15, two channels U U are shown, arran back to'back in the member A, and producing a somewhat similar kind of lining to the lining T in Fig. 14.

I claim- 1. A. racquet having a frame comprising a y hollow metallic member bent in the required form and the ends of which form handle portions, said member presenting a channel on its inner side, a handle fitted between said handle portions, and a wedge at the inner end of the handle and fitted in said inner side channels of said handle portions of the said member.

2. A racquet having a frame comprising a hollow metallic member bent in the required form, and presenting channels in its inner and outer sides, and a wood filling in said hollow member.

3. A. racquet having a frame comprising a hollow metallic member bent in the required form and presenting channels in its inner and outer sides, a wood filling in said hollow member, and metal liners on opposite sides of the wood filling.

., 4. A racquet having a frame comprising a hollow: metallic member bent in the required form and the ends of which form handle portions, said member presenting channels on its outer and inner sides, a ban 1Q dle fitted between said handle portions of the frame, a wedge at the inner end of the handle and fitted in the inner channels of the handle portions of the frame, filler strips in the outer channels of the said handle portions, and a filling in said hollow metallic member.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification 4th day of August, 1921.

ARTHUR HARRIS. 

